Lots of college students have the ideas, persistence, and passion to build a startup. What they don't have is the educational support from their universities, many of which provide few classes in entrepreneurship and little incentive for their students to innovate. Although it may seem like that gap is continually widening, there are some people who are optimistic about the future of entrepreneurial education. Caroline Pugh is one of those people. As a rising junior at Virginia Tech, she believes that, when given the resources to foster great ideas, college students can create startups as soon as their first year on campus.
When she left the comforts of her home to embark on her college years, Caroline knew she wanted to get involved in activities on campus. She joined the Entrepreneur Club at Virginia Tech within her first two weeks, overwhelmed with excitement. "Everyone was part of a startup or just dedicated to an idea and wanted to start a business of their own," she said. Surrounded by the impressive passion of her fellow entrepreneurs, she was surprised and felt a sense of empowerment as she noticed the enthusiasm of her peers. Caroline described the club as a way to collaborate and pitch to one another other while receiving constructive feedback at the same time. For her, the tight knit sense of community made her time with the Entrepreneur Club her best experience throughout college, and she often thinks about how lucky she is to be a part of group that works so tirelessly.
As president of the Entrepreneur Club at Virginia Tech, Caroline has a lot on her plate, but she makes it her perogative to connect with other students. Along the way she formed a long-lasting friendship with Nick Gagianas, Vice President of Media for the Entrepreneur club, who introduced her to Louis Cirillo, one of the heads of the snowboarding club at Virginia Tech.
Caroline's time with the club has left her with not only great memories and good friends but also with a project she, Gagianas, and Cirillo started when they realized they all shared the same passions. Thanks to the club, they now have their own startup: VirtualU.
VirtualU started off as a small dream and has turned into a manifestation of technology. Founded this year, they really got the ball rolling about a month ago when they attained some office space (with an awesome student discount) at Techpad and became serious about working hard on their startup. Louis took on the role of CEO and the tech guy, with knowledge of all the ins and outs of coding, Nick became CMO in charge of marketing, and Caroline reserves the title COO, a networker and connector through strategic means. They knew it was an idea worth pursing, and they had the people they needed, so it was time to act. Their goal? Build "in-store solutions that allow the every day shopper to accurately digitize and upload themselves online letting you try on clothes from your computer, eliminating the largest hesitation and problem in e-commerce fashion retail."
The innovative startup allows users to have an efficient and more timely shopping experience without worrying about the hassle of trying every piece of clothing on. The technology was formatted so that shoppers can scan themselves in in stores. "This technology has been in theory for a while now, but we are making it possible," said Caroline.
According to Nick, VitualU "aims to allow you to easily express who you are by bringing the convenience of trying on clothes into your mobile phone or home computer." The company allows users to store an accurate and realistic 3D model of themselves online with a simple swipe of your finger or click of your mouse, depending on your technology source. It "allows you to realistically see how clothing will fit onto your body and with a little technology magic you can eliminate the uncertainty of whether or not clothing will fit while you're out snagging deals online," Nick explained.
It's hard to find clothes that fit when you're shopping online because you just can't tell how the dimensions will work with your body, but VirtualU supplies your measurements for you. If you do feel like venturing into a fitting room, VirtualU minimizes the waiting time in the fitting room with its scanning capabilities. It only takes a couple of seconds with a value proposition of "quick, guaranteeing the right fit of clothing."
The three co-founders have already received great feedback in regards to their steadily growing startup. They have been in contact with several high-end retailers. Caroline said the experience has been overwhelmingly positive, with enthusiastic and supportive reactions.. "They understand our vision and see the up and coming technological integration in the fashion scene," she explained. They are continuing to talk to designers in D.C. and Virginia for investors and advice. They will be hosting a demo day soon to display their product to potential investors and people interested in technology in the area.
The future is coming and it's coming fast with VirtualU's transformative techie shopping experience.
For more information and updates, check out their Facebook page and follow @Caroline_Pugh to view VirtualU's progression over the upcoming months.
